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Liu S, Tian H, Ren S, Sun W, Fan P, Xia D, Sun B, Li J, Wang X. Social risk to infant: The role of kin for maternal visual monitoring in Tibetan macaques. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11626. [PMID: 38919651 PMCID: PMC11196900 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternal monitoring of conspecifics is a crucial anti-predator strategy that also protects infants against risks within the social group. This study examines how maternal characteristics, infant characteristics, mother-infant distance, and the social environment affect maternal monitoring behaviors in free-ranging Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana). We observed 12 females with infants and analyzed their visual monitoring patterns. Our findings indicate that maternal rank significantly influences the time allocated to maternal visual monitoring, higher-ranking mothers spending less time than lower-ranking mothers. Maternal experience also played a role in monitoring strategies. Differences in monitoring strategies were observed based on maternal experience: first-time mothers (primiparity) engaged in longer but less frequent monitoring sessions compared to experienced mothers (multiparity). The time and frequency of maternal monitoring decreased as infants aged, and mothers with male infants showed higher levels of monitoring than those with female infants. The distance between mother and infant also affected visual monitoring behavior, with mothers increasing their monitoring levels when infants were nearby (1-5 m), rather than within reach (0-1 m) or beyond nearby (>5 m). Additionally, the presence of kin and non-kin influenced monitoring: as the number of nearby kin increased, monitoring levels decreased, while the presence of more non-kin males led to an increase in monitoring time, and higher-ranking non-kin neighbors increased the frequency of monitoring. These results suggest that Tibetan macaque mothers can adapt their visual monitoring to the social risks faced by their infants, adjusting their strategies to their status and the needs of their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen‐Qi Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental EngineeringAnhui UniversityHefeiChina
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral EcologyHefeiChina
| | - Hong‐Wei Tian
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral EcologyHefeiChina
- School of Life SciencesAnhui UniversityHefeiChina
| | - Sen Ren
- School of Resources and Environmental EngineeringAnhui UniversityHefeiChina
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral EcologyHefeiChina
| | - Wen‐Kai Sun
- School of Resources and Environmental EngineeringAnhui UniversityHefeiChina
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral EcologyHefeiChina
| | - Peng‐Lai Fan
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University)Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, College of Life SciencesGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
| | - Dong‐Po Xia
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral EcologyHefeiChina
- School of Life SciencesAnhui UniversityHefeiChina
| | - Bing‐Hua Sun
- School of Resources and Environmental EngineeringAnhui UniversityHefeiChina
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral EcologyHefeiChina
| | - Jin‐Hua Li
- School of Resources and Environmental EngineeringAnhui UniversityHefeiChina
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral EcologyHefeiChina
- School of Life SciencesHefei Normal UniversityHefeiChina
| | - Xi Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental EngineeringAnhui UniversityHefeiChina
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral EcologyHefeiChina
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Siracusa ER, Pavez-Fox MA, Negron-Del Valle JE, Phillips D, Platt ML, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP, Brent LJN, Silk MJ. Social ageing can protect against infectious disease in a group-living primate. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.09.584237. [PMID: 38559098 PMCID: PMC10979879 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.09.584237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The benefits of social living are well established, but sociality also comes with costs, including infectious disease risk. This cost-benefit ratio of sociality is expected to change across individuals' lifespans, which may drive changes in social behaviour with age. To explore this idea, we combine data from a group-living primate for which social ageing has been described with epidemiological models to show that having lower social connectedness when older can protect against the costs of a hypothetical, directly transmitted endemic pathogen. Assuming no age differences in epidemiological characteristics (susceptibility to, severity, and duration of infection), older individuals suffered lower infection costs, which was explained largely because they were less connected in their social networks than younger individuals. This benefit of 'social ageing' depended on epidemiological characteristics and was greatest when infection severity increased with age. When infection duration increased with age, social ageing was beneficial only when pathogen transmissibility was low. Older individuals benefited most from having a lower frequency of interactions (strength) and network embeddedness (closeness) and benefited less from having fewer social partners (degree). Our study provides a first examination of the epidemiology of social ageing, demonstrating the potential for pathogens to influence evolutionary dynamics of social ageing in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R. Siracusa
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Phillips
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
- Department of Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Lauren J. N. Brent
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Matthew J. Silk
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Tuliozi B, Mantovani R, Schoepf I, Tsuruta S, Mancin E, Sartori C. Genetic correlations of direct and indirect genetic components of social dominance with fitness and morphology traits in cattle. Genet Sel Evol 2023; 55:84. [PMID: 38037008 PMCID: PMC10687847 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-023-00845-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Within the same species, individuals show marked variation in their social dominance. Studies on a handful of populations have indicated heritable genetic variation for this trait, which is determined by both the genetic background of the individual (direct genetic effect) and of its opponent (indirect genetic effect). However, the evolutionary consequences of selection for this trait are largely speculative, as it is not a usual target of selection in livestock populations. Moreover, studying social dominance presents the challenge of working with a phenotype with a mean value that cannot change in the population, as for every winner of an agonistic interaction there will necessarily be a loser. Thus, to investigate what could be the evolutionary response to selection for social dominance, it is necessary to focus on traits that might be correlated with it. This study investigated the genetic correlations of social dominance, both direct and indirect, with several morphology and fitness traits. We used a dataset of agonistic contests involving cattle (Bos taurus): during these contests, pairs of cows compete in ritualized interactions to assess social dominance. The outcomes of 37,996 dominance interactions performed by 8789 cows over 20 years were combined with individual data for fertility, mammary health, milk yield and morphology and analysed using bivariate animal models including indirect genetic effects. RESULTS We found that winning agonistic interactions has a positive genetic correlation with more developed frontal muscle mass, lower fertility, and poorer udder health. We also discovered that the trends of changes in the estimated breeding values of social dominance, udder health and more developed muscle mass were consistent with selection for social dominance in the population. CONCLUSIONS We present evidence that social dominance is genetically correlated with fitness traits, as well as empirical evidence of the possible evolutionary trade-offs between these traits. We show that it is feasible to estimate genetic correlations involving dyadic social traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Tuliozi
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy.
| | - Roberto Mantovani
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Ivana Schoepf
- Department of Sciences, Augustana Campus, University of Alberta, 4901 46 Ave, Camrose, AB, T4V 2R3, Canada
| | - Shogo Tsuruta
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Enrico Mancin
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Cristina Sartori
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
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Darmis F, Huchard É, Cowlishaw G, Carter AJ. Cycle length flexibility: is the duration of sexual receptivity associated with changes in social pressures? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:231307. [PMID: 38034125 PMCID: PMC10685116 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Research in social mammals has revealed the complexity of strategies females use in response to female-female reproductive competition and sexual conflict. One point at which competition and conflict manifests acutely is during sexual receptivity, indicated by swellings in some primates. Whether females can adjust their sexual receptivity from cycle to cycle to decrease reproductive competition and sexual conflict in response to social pressures has not been tested. As a first step, this study explores whether sexual receptivity duration is predicted by social pressures in wild female chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). Given that female baboons face intense reproductive competition and sexual coercion, we predicted that: females could shorten the duration of their sexual receptive period to reduce female-female aggression and male coercion or increase it to access multiple or their preferred male(s). We quantified 157 ovulatory cycles from 46 wild females living in central Namibia recorded over 15 years. We found no support for our hypothesis; however, our analyses revealed a negative correlation between maximal-swelling duration and group size, a proxy of within-group competition. This study provides further evidence that swelling is costly as well as a testable framework for future investigations of 'cycle length manipulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Élise Huchard
- Institut des Sciences de L'Evolution de Montpellier, UMR 5554, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Guy Cowlishaw
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Alecia J. Carter
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
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Smit N, Dezeure J, Sauvadet L, Huchard E, Charpentier MJ. Socially bonded females face more sexual coercion in a female-philopatric primate. iScience 2023; 26:107358. [PMID: 37766985 PMCID: PMC10520811 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual coercion is a manifestation of sexual conflict increasing male mating success while inflicting costs to females. Although previous work has examined inter-individual variation in male sexually coercive tactics, little is known about female counter-strategies. We investigated whether social bonding mitigates the extent of sexual coercion faced by female mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), as a putative mechanism linking sociality to fitness. Surprisingly, females faced the most coercion from those males with whom they formed the strongest bonds, while the strength of a female-male bond was also positively correlated with coercion from all other males. Finally, greater social integration in the female network was positively correlated with coercion, through a direct 'public exposure' mechanism and not mediated by female reproductive success or retaliation potential. Altogether, this study shows that neither between- nor within-sex bonds are protective against sexual coercion and identifies, instead, a hidden cost of social bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Smit
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Elise Huchard
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie J.E. Charpentier
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
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le Roex N, Bartlet A, Hunter LTB, Balme GA. Just a cat fight or something more sinister? Infanticide is rare among female leopards. Ecology 2023; 104:e4146. [PMID: 37522840 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikki le Roex
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Andrew Bartlet
- Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa
| | | | - Guy A Balme
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Bailly TPM, Kohlmeier P, Etienne RS, Wertheim B, Billeter JC. Social modulation of oogenesis and egg laying in Drosophila melanogaster. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00750-9. [PMID: 37369209 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Being part of a group facilitates cooperation between group members but also creates competition for resources. This is a conundrum for gravid females, whose future offspring benefit from being in a group only if there are enough resources relative to group size. Females may therefore be expected to modulate reproductive output depending on social context. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, females actively attract conspecifics to lay eggs on the same resources, generating groups in which individuals may cooperate or compete. The genetic tractability of this species allows dissecting the mechanisms underlying physiological adaptation to social context. Here, we show that females produce eggs increasingly faster as group size increases. By laying eggs faster when grouped than when isolated, females reduce competition between offspring and increase offspring survival. In addition, grouped females lay eggs during the day, while isolated females lay them at night. We show that responses to the presence of others requires visual input and that flies from any sex, mating status, or species can trigger these responses. The mechanisms of this modulation of egg laying by group is connected to a lifting of the inhibition of light on oogenesis and egg laying, possibly mediated in part by an increase in juvenile hormone activity. Because modulation of reproduction by social context is a hallmark of animals with higher levels of sociality, our findings in a species considered solitary question the validity of this nomenclature and suggest a widespread and profound influence of social context on reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiphaine P M Bailly
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9474AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Philip Kohlmeier
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9474AG Groningen, the Netherlands; University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN 38152-3530, USA
| | - Rampal S Etienne
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9474AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bregje Wertheim
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9474AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9474AG Groningen, the Netherlands.
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8
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Levelling as a Female-Biased Competitive Tactic. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-023-00355-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
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9
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Fischer S, Duffield C, Davidson AJ, Bolton R, Hurst JL, Stockley P. Fitness Costs of Female Competition Linked to Resource Defense and Relatedness of Competitors. Am Nat 2023; 201:256-268. [PMID: 36724459 DOI: 10.1086/722513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractFemale reproductive success is often limited by access to resources, and this can lead to social competition both within and between kin groups. Theory predicts that both resource availability and relatedness should influence the fitness consequences of social competition. However, testing key predictions requires differentiating the effects of these two factors. Here, we achieve this experimentally by manipulating the social environment of house mice, a facultative communal breeding species with known kin discrimination ability. This allows us to investigate (1) the reproductive costs of defending a limited resource in response to cues of social competition and (2) whether such costs, or their potential mitigation via cooperative behavior, are influenced by the relatedness of competitors. Our results support the hypothesis that resource defense can be costly for females, potentially trading off against maternal investment. When the availability of protected nest sites was limited, subjects (1) were more active, (2) responded more strongly to simulated territory intrusions via competitive signaling, and (3) produced smaller weaned offspring. However, we found no evidence that the propensity for kin to cooperate was influenced by the relatedness of rivals. Communal breeding between sisters occurred independently of the relatedness of competitors and communally breeding sisters weaned fewer offspring when competing with unrelated females, despite our study being designed to prevent infanticide between kin groups. Our findings thus demonstrate that female competition has fitness costs and that associating with kin is beneficial to avoid negative fitness consequences of competing with nonkin, in addition to more widely recognized kin-selected benefits.
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McCormick SK, Laubach ZM, Strauss ED, Montgomery TM, Holekamp KE. Evaluating drivers of female dominance in the spotted hyena. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.934659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionDominance relationships in which females dominate males are rare among mammals. Mechanistic hypotheses explaining the occurrence of female dominance suggest that females dominate males because (1) they are intrinsically more aggressive or less submissive than males, and/or (2) they have access to more social support than males.MethodsHere, we examine the determinants of female dominance across ontogenetic development in spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) using 30 years of detailed behavioral observations from the Mara Hyena Project to evaluate these two hypotheses.ResultsAmong adult hyenas, we find that females spontaneously aggress at higher rates than males, whereas males spontaneously submit at higher rates than females. Once an aggressive interaction has been initiated, adult females are more likely than immigrant males to elicit submission from members of the opposite sex, and both adult natal and immigrant males are more likely than adult females to offer submission in response to an aggressive act. We also find that adult male aggressors are more likely to receive social support than are adult female aggressors, and that both adult natal and immigrant males are 2–3 times more likely to receive support when attacking a female than when attacking another male. Across all age classes, females are more likely than males to be targets of aggressive acts that occur with support. Further, receiving social support does slightly help immigrant males elicit submission from adult females compared to immigrant males acting alone, and it also helps females elicit submission from other females. However, adult females can dominate immigrant males with or without support far more often than immigrant males can dominate females, even when the immigrants are supported against females.DiscussionOverall, we find evidence for both mechanisms hypothesized to mediate female dominance in this species: (1) male and female hyenas clearly differ in their aggressive and submissive tendencies, and (2) realized social support plays an important role in shaping dominance relationships within a clan. Nevertheless, our results suggest that social support alone cannot explain sex-biased dominance in spotted hyenas. Although realized social support can certainly influence fight outcomes among females, adult females can easily dominate immigrant males without any support at all.
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Smit N, Ngoubangoye B, Charpentier MJE, Huchard E. Dynamics of intersexual dominance in a highly dimorphic primate. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.931226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intersexual dominance, which is measured by the probability that members of one sex elicit submission of members of the other sex during agonistic interactions, is often skewed in favor of males. However, even in sexually dimorphic species, several factors may influence intersexual dominance. Here, we use an 8-year dataset to examine the dynamics of intersexual dominance in wild-living mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx). Mandrills exhibit an extreme male-biased sexual size dimorphism but females show pronounced kin-differentiated social relationships and occasionally form coalitions against males. We established intersexual hierarchies across consecutive 6-month time blocks, representing either mating or birth seasons. Although females appeared to outrank 11% of males, they elicited male submission in only 2% of agonistic interactions against males. This discrepancy is likely due to the temporary residency of most males in the exceptionally large mandrill groups, the sexually coercive male mating strategies and the scarce number of agonistic interactions within most dyads, that may limit hierarchical inferences. In a second step, we found that the intersexual hierarchy mixes the intrasexual ones respecting their respective order. Females outranked mostly young and old males during the mating (vs. birth) season and social integration was positively correlated to dominance status in both sexes. In a third step, we found that females win more conflicts against young or old males which are closer to them in the intersexual hierarchy. These results extend our understanding of female-male dominance relationships by indicating that female mandrills occasionally outrank males who are considerably larger than them, and that a combination of demographic and social factors can influence the intersexual hierarchy.
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12
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Leimar O, Bshary R. Effects of local versus global competition on reproductive skew and sex differences in social dominance behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20222081. [PMID: 36448421 PMCID: PMC9709658 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchies are often found in group-living animals. The hierarchy position can influence reproductive success (RS), with a skew towards high-ranking individuals. The amount of aggression in social dominance varies greatly, both between species and between males and females within species. Using game theory we study this variation by taking into account the degree to which reproductive competition in a social group is mainly local to the group, emphasizing within-group relative RS, or global to a larger population, emphasizing an individual's absolute RS. Our model is similar to recent approaches in that reinforcement learning is used as a behavioural mechanism allowing social-hierarchy formation. We test two hypotheses. The first is that local competition should favour the evolution of mating or foraging interference, and thus of reproductive skew. Second, decreases in reproductive output caused by an individual's accumulated fighting damage, such as reduced parenting ability, will favour less intense aggression but should have little influence on reproductive skew. From individual-based simulations of the evolution of social dominance and interference, we find support for both hypotheses. We discuss to what extent our results can explain observed sex differences in reproductive skew and social dominance behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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13
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Tuliozi B, Tiezzi F, Schoepf I, Mancin E, Guzzo N, Mantovani R, Sartori C. Genetic correlations and causal effects of fighting ability on fitness traits in cattle reveal antagonistic trade-offs. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.972093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex genetic and phenotypic relationships are theorized to link different fitness components but revealing the correlations occurring among disparate traits requires large datasets of pedigreed populations. In particular, the association between traits beneficial to social dominance with health and fitness could be antagonistic, because of trade-offs, or positive, because of greater resource acquisition by dominant individuals. Studies investigating these relationships found some empirical evidence in support of both theories, mainly using multiple trait models (MTM). However, if a trait giving a social advantage is suspected to affect the expression of other traits, MTM could provide some bias, that structural equation models (SEM) could highlight. We used Aosta Chestnut-Black Pied cattle to investigate whether the fighting ability of cows (the capability of winning social dominance interactions) is genetically correlated with health and fitness traits. We ran both MTM and SEM using a Gibbs sampling algorithm to disentangle the possible causal effects of fighting ability from the genetic correlations that this trait shares with other traits: individual milk yield, somatic cells (representing mammary health), fertility, and longevity. We found antagonistic genetic correlations, similar under both approaches, for fighting ability vs. milk, somatic cells, and fertility, Accordingly, we found only a slight causal effects of fighting ability on these traits (–0.012 to 0.059 in standardized value). However, we found genetic correlations opposite in sign between fighting ability and longevity under MTM (0.237) and SEM (–0.183), suggesting a strong causal effect (0.386 standardized) of fighting ability on longevity. In other words, MTM found a positive correlation between longevity and fighting ability, while SEM found a negative correlation. The explanation could be that for economic reasons dominant cows are kept in this population for longer, thus attaining greater longevity: using MTM, the economic importance of competitions probably covers the true genetic correlation among traits. This artificially simulates a natural situation where an antagonistic genetic correlation between longevity and fighting ability appears positive under MTM due to a non-genetic advantage obtained by the best fighters. The use of SEM to properly assess the relationships among traits is suggested in both evolutionary studies and animal breeding.
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14
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Gicquel M, East ML, Hofer H, Benhaiem S. Early-life adversity predicts performance and fitness in a wild social carnivore. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:2074-2086. [PMID: 35971285 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Studies on humans indicate that encountering multiple sources of adversity in childhood increases the risk of poor long-term health and premature death. Far less is known about cumulative effects of adversity during early life in wildlife. Focusing on the spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta, a social mammal with small litters, extensive maternal care, slow development and access to resources determined by social rank, we determined the contribution of ecological, maternal, social and demographic factors during early life on performance and fitness, and tested whether the impact of early-life adversity is cumulative. Using longitudinal data from 666 female hyenas in the Serengeti National Park, we determined the early growth rate, survival to adulthood, age at first reproduction (AFR), lifetime reproductive success (LRS) and longevity. We fitted multivariate models in which we tested the effects of environmental factors on these performance measures. We then constructed a cumulative adversity index and fitted models to test the effect of this index on each performance measure. Finally, the value of cumulative adversity models was tested by comparing them to multivariate and single-effect models in which the effect of each environmental factor was considered separately. High maternal rank decreased the AFR of daughters. Singleton and dominant cubs had higher growth rate than subordinate cubs, and singletons also had a higher survival chance to adulthood than subordinates. Daughters of prime age mothers had a higher growth rate, longevity and LRS. Little and heavy rainfall decreased survival to adulthood. Increasing numbers of lactating female clan members decreased growth rate, survival to adulthood and LRS. Cumulative adversity negatively affected short-term performance and LRS. Multivariate models outperformed cumulative adversity and single-effect models for all measures except for AFR and longevity, for which single-effect models performed better. Our results suggest that in some wildlife populations the combination of specific conditions in early life may matter more than the accumulation of adverse conditions as such.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Gicquel
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion L East
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Benhaiem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Kappeler PM, Huchard E, Baniel A, Canteloup C, Charpentier MJE, Cheng L, Davidian E, Duboscq J, Fichtel C, Hemelrijk CK, Höner OP, Koren L, Micheletta J, Prox L, Saccà T, Seex L, Smit N, Surbeck M, van de Waal E, Girard-Buttoz C. Sex and dominance: How to assess and interpret intersexual dominance relationships in mammalian societies. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.918773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The causes and consequences of being in a particular dominance position have been illuminated in various animal species, and new methods to assess dominance relationships and to describe the structure of dominance hierarchies have been developed in recent years. Most research has focused on same-sex relationships, however, so that intersexual dominance relationships and hierarchies including both sexes have remained much less studied. In particular, different methods continue to be employed to rank males and females along a dominance hierarchy, and sex biases in dominance are still widely regarded as simple byproducts of sexual size dimorphism. However, males and females regularly compete over similar resources when living in the same group, and sexual conflict takes a variety of forms across societies. These processes affect the fitness of both sexes, and are mitigated by intersexual hierarchies. In this study, we draw on data from free-ranging populations of nine species of mammals that vary in the degree to which members of one sex dominate members of the other sex to explore the consequences of using different criteria and procedures for describing intra- and intersexual dominance relationships in these societies. Our analyses confirmed a continuum in patterns of intersexual dominance, from strictly male-dominated species to strictly female-dominated species. All indices of the degree of female dominance were well correlated with each other. The rank order among same-sex individuals was highly correlated between the intra- and intersexual hierarchies, and such correlation was not affected by the degree of female dominance. The relative prevalence of aggression and submission was sensitive to variation in the degree of female dominance across species, with more submissive signals and fewer aggressive acts being used in societies where female dominance prevails. Thus, this study provides important insights and key methodological tools to study intersexual dominance relationships in mammals.
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16
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Brum MDN, Melo GL, Cáceres NC. Ecological evidence of hierarchy and competition in Didelphis aurita females. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00269-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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17
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Stronger maternal social bonds and higher rank are associated with accelerated infant maturation in Kinda baboons. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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18
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East ML, Thierer D, Benhaiem S, Metzger S, Hofer H. Infanticide by Adult Females Causes Sexual Conflict in a Female-Dominated Social Mammal. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.860854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infanticide by adult females includes any substantial contribution to the demise of young and inevitably imposes fitness costs on the victim’s genetic fathers, thereby generating sexual conflict with them. Few if any studies have quantified the impact of infanticide by females on male reproductive success, the magnitude of sexual conflict this causes and possible counterstrategies males use against infanticidal females. We examine these topics in spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) clans, where females socially dominate breeding males and strong female mate-choice is independent of male social status. We consider two causes of infanticide by females, violent attacks on cubs and fatal maternal neglect. Violent attacks are predicted during periods of social instability at the top of the female linear dominance hierarchy and victims are expected to predominantly have mothers above median rank. Fatal maternal neglect, when starving litters are abandoned, is associated with monopolization of food in clan territories by high-ranking females, and victims are predicted to have mothers below median rank. Female perpetrators of violent attacks are expected to reduce the reproductive success of the fathers of their victims more than perpetrators of fatal maternal neglect. We tested these predictions using 30 + years of data (54 recorded violent attacks, 43 cases of fatal maternal neglect, DNA profiling of 1,671 individuals). Using long-term observations at communal dens we investigated whether males use counterstrategies against infanticide reported in other mammals. Due to female social dominance over breeding males, strong female mate-choice and prolonged offspring dependence on lactation in spotted hyenas, we predicted that these counterstrategies were unlikely to be used by males against females, thus no incidences of them were likely to be observed. Our results revealed that breeding males lost cubs to violent attacks at all stages of their reproductive tenure and to perpetrators with whom they did not sire offspring. Amongst known sources of paternity loss, violent attacks comprised 12.2% and maternal neglect 9.8% of cases. Violent attacks significantly reduced offspring production rates of breeding males, suggesting that infanticide by females generates sexual conflict. As predicted, no evidence of males using counterstrategies against infanticide by females were observed.
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19
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Dezeure J, Charpentier MJ, Huchard E. Fitness effects of seasonal birth timing in a long-lived social primate living in the equatorial forest. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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20
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Grebe NM, Sheikh A, Drea CM. Integrating the female masculinization and challenge hypotheses: Female dominance, male deference, and seasonal hormone fluctuations in adult blue-eyed black lemurs (Eulemur flavifrons). Horm Behav 2022; 139:105108. [PMID: 35033896 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the decades since female social dominance was first described in strepsirrhine primates, researchers have sought to uncover the proximate and ultimate explanations for its development. In the females of various female-dominant species, androgens have been implicated as regulators of behavior and/or predictors of seasonal fluctuations in aggression (the 'Female Masculinization Hypothesis'). Males, more generally, respond to changing social demands via seasonal fluctuations in androgen-mediated behavior (the 'Challenge Hypothesis'), that may also entail changes in activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Here, we explore if androgens, glucocorticoids, and intersexual behavior fluctuate seasonally in the female-dominant, blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons), with potential consequences for understanding female aggression and male deference. Across two studies conducted during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons, we assessed rates of mixed-sex, dyadic social behavior (aggression and affiliation) and concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (Study 1) and serum sex hormones (androstenedione, testosterone, and estradiol; Study 2). Our results align with several predictions inspired by the Female Masculinization and Challenge Hypotheses for intersexual relations: During the breeding season, specifically, both aggression and androstenedione peaked in females, while female-initiated affiliation decreased, potentially to facilitate female resource access and reproductive control. By comparison, all target hormones (androgens, estrogen, and glucocorticoids) peaked in males, with glucocorticoid concentrations potentially increasing in response to the surge in female aggression, and unusually high estrogen concentrations year-round potentially facilitating male deference via male-initiated affiliation. These results suggest complex, seasonally and hormonally mediated behavior in Eulemur flavifrons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Grebe
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America.
| | - Alizeh Sheikh
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America
| | - Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America
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21
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Simons ND, Michopoulos V, Wilson M, Barreiro LB, Tung J. Agonism and grooming behaviour explain social status effects on physiology and gene regulation in rhesus macaques. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210132. [PMID: 35000435 PMCID: PMC8743879 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in social status predicts molecular, physiological and life-history outcomes across a broad range of species, including our own. Experimental studies indicate that some of these relationships persist even when the physical environment is held constant. Here, we draw on datasets from one such study-experimental manipulation of dominance rank in captive female rhesus macaques-to investigate how social status shapes the lived experience of these animals to alter gene regulation, glucocorticoid physiology and mitochondrial DNA phenotypes. We focus specifically on dominance rank-associated dimensions of the social environment, including both competitive and affiliative interactions. Our results show that simple summaries of rank-associated behavioural interactions are often better predictors of molecular and physiological outcomes than dominance rank itself. However, while measures of immune function are best explained by agonism rates, glucocorticoid-related phenotypes tend to be more closely linked to affiliative behaviour. We conclude that dominance rank serves as a useful summary for investigating social environmental effects on downstream outcomes. Nevertheless, the behavioural interactions that define an individual's daily experiences reveal the proximate drivers of social status-related differences and are especially relevant for understanding why individuals who share the same social status sometimes appear physiologically distinct. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah D. Simons
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mark Wilson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Luis B. Barreiro
- Genetics Section, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1
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22
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Driscoll JG, Alo FM, Paoli A, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, Kumpula J, Soveri T. Influence of operational sex ratio and male age on mating competition intensity in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1975997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey G. Driscoll
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B1R6, Canada
| | - Franco M. Alo
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B1R6, Canada
| | - Amélie Paoli
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B1R6, Canada
| | - Robert B. Weladji
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B1R6, Canada
| | - Øystein Holand
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, Ås 1432, Norway
| | - Jouko Kumpula
- Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke), Ecosystems and Ecology, Saarikoskentie 99910, Finland
| | - Timo Soveri
- Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland
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23
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Rystrom TL, Prawitt RC, Richter SH, Sachser N, Kaiser S. Repeatability of endocrine traits and dominance rank in female guinea pigs. Front Zool 2022; 19:4. [PMID: 35031061 PMCID: PMC8760769 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00449-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glucocorticoids (e.g. cortisol) are associated with variation in social behavior, and previous studies have linked baseline as well as challenge-induced glucocorticoid concentrations to dominance status. It is known that cortisol response to an acute challenge is repeatable and correlates to social behavior in males of many mammal species. However, it is unclear whether these patterns are also consistent for females. The aim of this study was to investigate whether baseline and response cortisol concentrations are repeatable in female guinea pigs (Cavia aperea f. porcellus) and whether dominance rank is stable and correlated to baseline cortisol concentration and/or cortisol responsiveness. RESULTS Our results show that cortisol responsiveness (after 1 h: R = 0.635, 95% CI = 0.229, 0.927; after 2 h: R = 0.764, 95% CI = 0.433, 0.951) and dominance rank (R = 0.709, 95% CI = 0.316, 0.935) of females were significantly repeatable after six weeks but not correlated. Baseline cortisol was not repeatable (R = 0, 95% CI = 0, 0.690) and also did not correlate to dominance rank. Furthermore, the difference in repeatability estimates of baseline and response values was due to high within-individual variance of baseline cortisol concentration; the amount of between-individual variance was similar for baseline cortisol and the two measures of cortisol responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS Females occupying different dominance ranks did not have long-term differences in cortisol concentrations, and cortisol responsiveness does not seem to be significantly involved in the maintenance of dominance rank. Overall, this study reveals the remarkable stability of cortisol responsiveness and dominance rank in a female rodent, and it remains an open question whether the magnitude of cortisol responsiveness is adaptive in social contexts for females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor L Rystrom
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestr. 13, 48149, Münster, Germany. .,Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1a, 48149, Münster, Germany.
| | - Romy C Prawitt
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestr. 13, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestr. 13, 48149, Münster, Germany.,Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1a, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestr. 13, 48149, Münster, Germany.,Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1a, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestr. 13, 48149, Münster, Germany.,Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1a, 48149, Münster, Germany
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24
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25
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Davis AC, Arnocky S. Response to Commentaries: A Socioevolutionary Approach to Self-Presentation Modification. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:85-100. [PMID: 34713430 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02170-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Davis
- Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Steven Arnocky
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, ON, P1B 8L7, Canada.
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26
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Driscoll JG, Alo FM, Paoli A, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, Kumpula J, Soveri T. Influence of operational sex ratio and male age on mating competition intensity in reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1989054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey G. Driscoll
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B1R6, Canada
| | - Franco M. Alo
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B1R6, Canada
| | - Amélie Paoli
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B1R6, Canada
| | - Robert B. Weladji
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H4B1R6, Canada
| | - Øystein Holand
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Jouko Kumpula
- Ecosystems and Ecology, Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke), 99910, Finland
| | - Timo Soveri
- Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, Helsinki, Finland
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27
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Cassar A, Rigdon ML. Option to cooperate increases women's competitiveness and closes the gender gap. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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28
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Xia W, Grueter CC, Ren B, Zhang D, Yuan X, Li D. Determinants of Harem Size in a Polygynous Primate: Reproductive Success and Social Benefits. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11102915. [PMID: 34679936 PMCID: PMC8532613 DOI: 10.3390/ani11102915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We used long-term data on the variation in harem size in Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys to research the effects of harem size on reproductive success and the ratio of grooming received to given (RGRG). The results suggest that harem holders derive reproductive benefits commensurate with harem size, whereas the females' reproductive success is unaffected by harem size. Males of larger harems groomed less and had higher RGRG than males of smaller harems. In the case of females, grooming given increased, and RGRG decreased with an increase in harem size. The males' reproductive success seems to be a driver of harem size maximization. From the females' perspective, dwindling social benefits appear to set the upper limit for harem enlargement. We also showed that males of monogamous units ('single-female harems') invested more into grooming their female, presumably to prevent unit disintegration and loss of mating privileges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wancai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China;
- Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Cyril C. Grueter
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- International Centre of Biodiversity and Primate Conservation, Dali University, Dali 671003, China
| | - Baoping Ren
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
| | - Dejun Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China; (D.Z.); (X.Y.)
| | - Xiaoxia Yuan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China; (D.Z.); (X.Y.)
| | - Dayong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China;
- Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Correspondence:
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29
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Craniodental Sexual Dimorphism Among Hylobatids. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00233-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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30
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Smith JE, von Rueden CR, van Vugt M, Fichtel C, Kappeler PM. An Evolutionary Explanation for the Female Leadership Paradox. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.676805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social influence is distributed unequally between males and females in many mammalian societies. In human societies, gender inequality is particularly evident in access to leadership positions. Understanding why women historically and cross-culturally have tended to be under-represented as leaders within human groups and organizations represents a paradox because we lack evidence that women leaders consistently perform worse than men. We also know that women exercise overt influence in collective group-decisions within small-scale human societies, and that female leadership is pervasive in particular contexts across non-human mammalian societies. Here, we offer a transdisciplinary perspective on this female leadership paradox. Synthesis of social science and biological literatures suggests that females and males, on average, differ in why and how they compete for access to political leadership in mixed-gender groups. These differences are influenced by sexual selection and are moderated by socioecological variation across development and, particularly in human societies, by culturally transmitted norms and institutions. The interplay of these forces contributes to the emergence of female leaders within and across species. Furthermore, females may regularly exercise influence on group decisions in less conspicuous ways and different domains than males, and these underappreciated forms of leadership require more study. We offer a comprehensive framework for studying inequality between females and males in access to leadership positions, and we discuss the implications of this approach for understanding the female leadership paradox and for redressing gender inequality in leadership in humans.
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Bath E, Buzzoni D, Ralph T, Wigby S, Sepil I. Male condition influences female post mating aggression and feeding in
Drosophila. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Bath
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Daisy Buzzoni
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- University of Victoria Victoria BC Canada
| | - Toby Ralph
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | - Irem Sepil
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
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33
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Houle A, Wrangham RW. Contest competition for fruit and space among wild chimpanzees in relation to the vertical stratification of metabolizable energy. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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34
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Bath E, Edmunds D, Norman J, Atkins C, Harper L, Rostant WG, Chapman T, Wigby S, Perry JC. Sex ratio and the evolution of aggression in fruit flies. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203053. [PMID: 33726599 PMCID: PMC8059548 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behaviours are among the most striking displayed by animals, and aggression strongly impacts fitness in many species. Aggression varies plastically in response to the social environment, but we lack direct tests of how aggression evolves in response to intra-sexual competition. We investigated how aggression in both sexes evolves in response to the competitive environment, using populations of Drosophila melanogaster that we experimentally evolved under female-biased, equal, and male-biased sex ratios. We found that after evolution in a female-biased environment—with less male competition for mates—males fought less often on food patches, although the total frequency and duration of aggressive behaviour did not change. In females, evolution in a female-biased environment—where female competition for resources is higher—resulted in more frequent aggressive interactions among mated females, along with a greater increase in post-mating aggression. These changes in female aggression could not be attributed solely to evolution either in females or in male stimulation of female aggression, suggesting that coevolved interactions between the sexes determine female post-mating aggression. We found evidence consistent with a positive genetic correlation for aggression between males and females, suggesting a shared genetic basis. This study demonstrates the experimental evolution of a behaviour strongly linked to fitness, and the potential for the social environment to shape the evolution of contest behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Bath
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Danielle Edmunds
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Jessica Norman
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Charlotte Atkins
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Lucy Harper
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Wayne G Rostant
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.,Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jennifer C Perry
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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35
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Digit ratio and length asymmetry in calves’ limbs. ZOOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Levy EJ, Gesquiere LR, McLean E, Franz M, Warutere JK, Sayialel SN, Mututua RS, Wango TL, Oudu VK, Altmann J, Archie EA, Alberts SC. Higher dominance rank is associated with lower glucocorticoids in wild female baboons: A rank metric comparison. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104826. [PMID: 32758500 PMCID: PMC7541639 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, glucocorticoid secretion occurs in response to energetic and psychosocial stressors that trigger the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Measuring glucocorticoid concentrations can therefore shed light on the stressors associated with different social and environmental variables, including dominance rank. Using 14,172 fecal samples from 237 wild female baboons, we test the hypothesis that high-ranking females experience fewer psychosocial and/or energetic stressors than lower-ranking females. We predicted that high-ranking females would have lower fecal glucocorticoid (fGC) concentrations than low-ranking females. Because dominance rank can be measured in multiple ways, we employ an information theoretic approach to compare 5 different measures of rank as predictors of fGC concentrations: ordinal rank; proportional rank; Elo rating; and two approaches to categorical ranking (alpha vs non-alpha and high-middle-low). Our hypothesis was supported, but it was also too simplistic. We found that alpha females exhibited substantially lower fGCs than other females (typical reduction = 8.2%). If we used proportional rank instead of alpha versus non-alpha status in the model, we observed a weak effect of rank such that fGCs rose 4.2% from the highest- to lowest-ranking female in the hierarchy. Models using ordinal rank, Elo rating, or high-middle-low categories alone failed to explain variation in female fGCs. Our findings shed new light on the association between dominance rank and the stress response, the competitive landscape of female baboons as compared to males, and the assumptions inherent in a researcher's choice of rank metric.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Levy
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,.
| | - Laurence R Gesquiere
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,.
| | - Emily McLean
- Oxford College of Emory University, 801 Emory Street, Oxford, GA 30054, USA.
| | - Mathias Franz
- Institute for Biology, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 1-3, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Serah N Sayialel
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Tim L Wango
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Physiology, University of Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vivian K Oudu
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,.
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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Dezeure J, Dagorrette J, Baniel A, Carter AJ, Cowlishaw G, Marshall HH, Martina C, Raby CL, Huchard E. Developmental transitions in body color in chacma baboon infants: Implications to estimate age and developmental pace. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 174:89-102. [PMID: 32845027 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In many primates, one of the most noticeable morphological developmental traits is the transition from natal fur and skin color to adult coloration. Studying the chronology and average age at such color transitions can be an easy and noninvasive method to (a) estimate the age of infants whose dates of birth were not observed, and (b) detect interindividual differences in the pace of development for infants with known birth dates. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using a combination of photographs and field observations from 73 infant chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) of known ages, we (a) scored the skin color of six different body parts from pink to gray, as well as the color of the fur from black to gray; (b) validated our method of age estimation using photographic and field observations on an independent subset of 22 infants with known date of birth; and (c) investigated ecological, social, and individual determinants of age-related variation in skin and fur color. RESULTS Our results show that transitions in skin color can be used to age infant chacma baboons less than 7 months old with accuracy (median number of days between actual and estimated age = 10, range = 0-86). We also reveal that food availability during the mother's pregnancy, but not during lactation, affects infant color-for-age and therefore acts as a predictor of developmental pace. DISCUSSION This study highlights the potential of monitoring within- and between-infant variation in color to estimate age when age is unknown, and developmental pace when age is known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules Dezeure
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Dagorrette
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Alice Baniel
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Alecia J Carter
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Guy Cowlishaw
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Harry H Marshall
- Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Claudia Martina
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Cassandra L Raby
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Liverpool, UK
| | - Elise Huchard
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
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Lovari S, Fattorini N, Calosi M, Cozzi F, Gabbrielli C, Giari C, Torniai L, Romeo G, Mori E. Spatial behaviour of the Apennine hare: Are females territorial? Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Lovari
- Department of Life Sciences University of Siena Siena Italy
- Maremma Natural History Museum Grosseto Italy
| | | | - Martina Calosi
- Department of Life Sciences University of Siena Siena Italy
| | | | | | - Chiara Giari
- Department of Life Sciences University of Siena Siena Italy
| | | | - Giorgia Romeo
- Wildlife Section Tuscan Regional Council Grosseto Italy
| | - Emiliano Mori
- Department of Life Sciences University of Siena Siena Italy
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Wright E, Galbany J, McFarlin SC, Ndayishimiye E, Stoinski TS, Robbins MM. Dominance rank but not body size influences female reproductive success in mountain gorillas. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233235. [PMID: 32492071 PMCID: PMC7269200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
According to life history theory, natural selection has shaped trade-offs for allocating energy among growth, reproduction and maintenance to maximize individual fitness. In social mammals body size and dominance rank are two key variables believed to influence female reproductive success. However, few studies have examined these variables together, particularly in long-lived species. Previous studies found that female dominance rank correlates with reproductive success in mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), which is surprising given they have weak dominance relationships and experience seemingly low levels of feeding competition. It is not currently known whether this relationship is primarily driven by a positive correlation between rank and body size. We used the non-invasive parallel laser method to measure two body size variables (back breadth and body length) of 34 wild adult female mountain gorillas, together with long-term dominance and demography data to investigate the interrelationships among body size, dominance rank and two measures of female reproductive success (inter-birth interval N = 29 and infant mortality N = 64). Using linear mixed models, we found no support for body size to be significantly correlated with dominance rank or female reproductive success. Higher-ranking females had significantly shorter inter-birth intervals than lower-ranking ones, but dominance rank was not significantly correlated with infant mortality. Our results suggest that female dominance rank is primarily determined by factors other than linear body dimensions and that high rank provides benefits even in species with weak dominance relationships and abundant year-round food resources. Future studies should focus on the mechanisms behind heterogeneity in female body size in relation to trade-offs in allocating energy to growth, maintenance and lifetime reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Wright
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Jordi Galbany
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shannon C. McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Eric Ndayishimiye
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Tara S. Stoinski
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Martha M. Robbins
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Bowyer RT, McCullough DR, Rachlow JL, Ciuti S, Whiting JC. Evolution of ungulate mating systems: Integrating social and environmental factors. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5160-5178. [PMID: 32551090 PMCID: PMC7297761 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ungulates exhibit diverse mating systems that range from monogamous pair territories to highly polygynous leks. We review mating systems and behaviors across ungulates and offer a new approach synthesizing how interacting factors may shape those mating systems. Variability exists in mating systems among and within species of ungulates and likely is affected by predation risk, availability of resources (food and mates), habitat structure, and sociality. Ungulate mating systems may be labile as a consequence of the varying strength of those interacting factors. In addition, degree of polygyny and sexual dimorphism in size are associated with the evolution of mating systems. Neither male-male combat nor paternal care, however, can completely explain differences in sexual size dimorphism for ungulates, a necessary component in understanding the development of some mating systems. Whatever the evolutionary pathway, sexual segregation limits paternal care allowing more intense male-male competition. Selection of habitat structure, because it modifies risk of predation, is a major determinant of sociality for ungulates. Likewise, ruggedness and steepness of terrain limit the types of mating systems that can occur because of limitations in group size and cohesiveness, as well as the ability of males to herd even small groups of females effectively. The quality and defensibility of resources affect mating systems, as does the defensibility of females. Population density of females also may be a critical determinant of the types of mating systems that develop. Size of groups likewise constrains the types of mating tactics that males can employ. Our aim was to use those relationships to create a broad conceptual model that predicts how various environmental and social factors interact to structure mating systems in ungulates. This model provides a useful framework for future tests of the roles of both ecological and social conditions in influencing the social systems of ungulates.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Terry Bowyer
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAKUSA
| | - Dale R. McCullough
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Janet L. Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIDUSA
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and BehaviourSchool of Biology and Environmental ScienceUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
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Temporal and genetic variation in female aggression after mating. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229633. [PMID: 32348317 PMCID: PMC7190144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression between individuals of the same sex is almost ubiquitous across the animal kingdom. Winners of intrasexual contests often garner considerable fitness benefits, through greater access to mates, food, or social dominance. In females, aggression is often tightly linked to reproduction, with females displaying increases in aggressive behavior when mated, gestating or lactating, or when protecting dependent offspring. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, females spend twice as long fighting over food after mating as when they are virgins. However, it is unknown when this increase in aggression begins or whether it is consistent across genotypes. Here we show that aggression in females increases between 2 to 4 hours after mating and remains elevated for at least a week after a single mating. In addition, this increase in aggression 24 hours after mating is consistent across three diverse genotypes, suggesting this may be a universal response to mating in the species. We also report here the first use of automated tracking and classification software to study female aggression in Drosophila and assess its accuracy for this behavior. Dissecting the genetic diversity and temporal patterns of female aggression assists us in better understanding its generality and adaptive function, and will facilitate the identification of its underlying mechanisms.
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Sartori C, Gianesella M, Pilastro A, Mantovani R, Armato L, Fiore E. Digit ratio and length asymmetry in calves' limbs. ZOOLOGY 2020; 140:125777. [PMID: 32248058 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This study considered possible sexual dimorphism in the relative lengths of the second, third and fourth digits (digit ratio), in calves. Furthermore, a different length of the bone structures of the third (3D) and of the fourth (4D) digits has been examined as an evolutionary adaptation to locomotion on soft ground. The length of the digital bones of the right fore-limb of 33 females and 15 male calves was measured in vivo using a portable X-ray machine. The vestigial structure of the second digit (2D), and 3D and 4D, from metacarpus to the third phalanx were considered in a mixed model, as well as some ratios between 2D and different parts of 3D or 4D (2D:3D and 2D:4D). A covariate for the mean finger length was considered for digit ratios to control for possible biases due to shape allometry. Shorter first phalanx and trotter were found in 3D than in 4D, and the reverse for the third phalanx. The 2D was significantly shorter in females, as well as the second phalanges of 3D and 4D. Significant sex differences in 2D:3D and 2D:4D were found for some digit parts of 3D and 4D and for the first phalanges of 3D:4D. These ratios were always shorter in females, in contrast to that found in most mammals. The asymmetry between 3D and 4D could mean a functional adaptation for locomotion. Sex differences in 2D:4D and 3D:4D were found, but with a reverse pattern than in most mammal species (males > females rather than males < females). In this regard digit ratio in calves was similar to that of Old World monkeys. This study is the first investigation of digit ratio in Ungulates, whose limbs differ from the limbs of most mammals, maintaining five digits. The reverse pattern of sex differences (digit ratios: males> females) could be due to the peculiar nature of the vestigial dewclaw of 2D and to the hormone patterns acting on this digit during development, but further research is required around this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Sartori
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
| | - Matteo Gianesella
- Department of Animal Medicine, Productions and Health (MAPS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Mantovani
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Leonardo Armato
- Department of Animal Medicine, Productions and Health (MAPS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Fiore
- Department of Animal Medicine, Productions and Health (MAPS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Use of social thermoregulation fluctuates with mast seeding and reproduction in a pulsed resource consumer. Oecologia 2020; 192:919-928. [PMID: 32166391 PMCID: PMC7165186 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04627-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Edible dormice (Glis glis) can remain entirely solitary but frequently share sleeping sites with conspecifics in groups of up to 16 adults and yearlings. Here, we analysed grouping behaviour of 4564 marked individuals, captured in a 13-year study in nest boxes in a deciduous forest. We aimed to clarify (i) whether social thermoregulation is the primary cause for group formation and (ii) which factors affect group size and composition. Dormice temporarily formed both mixed and single-sex groups in response to acute cold ambient temperatures, especially those individuals with small body mass. Thus, thermoregulatory huddling appears to be the driving force for group formation in this species. Huddling was avoided—except for conditions of severe cold load—in years of full mast seeding, which is associated with reproduction and high foraging activity. Almost all females remained solitary during reproduction and lactation. Hence, entire populations of dormice switched between predominantly solitary lives in reproductive years to social behaviour in non-reproductive years. Non-social behaviour pointed to costs of huddling in terms of competition for local food resources even when food is generally abundant. The impact of competition was mitigated by a sex ratio that was biased towards males, which avoids sharing of food resources with related females that have extremely high energy demands during lactation. Importantly, dormice preferentially huddled in male-biased groups with litter mates from previous years. The fraction of related individuals increased with group size. Hence, group composition partly offsets the costs of shared food resources via indirect fitness benefits.
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44
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Cassini MH. A mixed model of the evolution of polygyny and sexual size dimorphism in mammals. Mamm Rev 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo H. Cassini
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento IBYME CONICET Obligado 2490, 1429 Buenos Aires Argentina
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45
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Deng K, Liu W, Wang DH. Relatedness and spatial distance modulate intergroup interactions: experimental evidence from a social rodent. Curr Zool 2019; 65:527-534. [PMID: 31616483 PMCID: PMC6784511 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Kin selection theory predicts that individuals should generally behave less aggressively or more amicably towards relatives than nonkin. However, how individuals treat conspecifics depends on genetic relatedness but also on the ecological context, which influences the benefits and costs of their interactions. In this study, we used microsatellite DNA markers and behavioral tests to examine the influence of kinship and proximity on the social behavior of Mongolian gerbils Meriones unguiculatus living in different social groups, and whether these effects varied with sex and season. We recorded the duration of 4 behavioral categories (investigative, neutral, amicable, and agonistic) during a 10-min pairwise test. We found that genetic relatedness had significant effects on the duration of investigative, neutral, and amicable behavior, but not on agonistic behavior. We also found significant interaction effects of relatedness and distance between burrow systems (i.e., spatial distance) on investigative, neutral, and amicable behavior, which suggests that the effects of kinship on social behavior were restricted by spatial proximity. The interaction effect between sex and relatedness on amicable behavior showed that male gerbils became more intimate with individuals of the same sex that had higher pairwise relatedness than females. Furthermore, both male and female gerbils enhanced their aggression during the food-hoarding season, but the intensity of these changes was significantly higher in females. Overall, our results suggest that the effects of kinship and spatial proximity on social behavior exhibit sexual or seasonal patterns, thereby implying ecological context-dependent responses to out-group individuals in Mongolian gerbils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - De-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Lukas D, Huchard E. The evolution of infanticide by females in mammals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180075. [PMID: 31303157 PMCID: PMC6664130 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In most mammalian species, females regularly interact with kin, which is expected to reduce aggressive competitive behaviour among females. It may thus be difficult to understand why infanticide by females has been reported in numerous species and is sometimes perpetrated by groupmates. Here, we investigate the evolutionary determinants of infanticide by females by combining a quantitative analysis of the taxonomic distribution of infanticide with a qualitative synthesis of the circumstances of infanticidal attacks in published reports. Our results show that female infanticide is widespread across mammals and varies in relation to social organization and life history, being more frequent where females breed in groups and have intense bouts of high reproductive output. Specifically, female infanticide occurs where the proximity of conspecific offspring directly threatens the killer's reproductive success by limiting access to critical resources for her dependent progeny, including food, shelters, care or a social position. By contrast, infanticide is not immediately modulated by the degree of kinship among females, and females occasionally sacrifice closely related infants. Our findings suggest that the potential direct fitness rewards of gaining access to reproductive resources have a stronger influence on the expression of female aggression than the indirect fitness costs of competing against kin. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of female-biased kinship in humans and other mammals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Lukas
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elise Huchard
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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47
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Cram DL, Jungwirth A, Spence-Jones H, Clutton-Brock T. Reproductive conflict resolution in cooperative breeders. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Female infanticide is common in animal societies where groups comprise multiple co-breeding females. To reduce the risk that their offspring are killed, mothers can synchronize breeding and pool offspring, making it hard for females to avoid killing their own young. However, female reproductive conflict does not invariably result in reproductive synchrony, and we lack a general hypothesis explaining the variation in conflict resolution strategies seen across species. Here, we investigate the fitness consequences of birth timing relative to other females and the prevalence of birth synchrony in cooperatively breeding Kalahari meerkats (Suricata suricatta). We show that, although there would be substantial benefits to females in synchronizing births and reducing their risk of infanticide, birth synchrony is rare. Since precise breeding synchrony has evolved in a related species with similar infanticidal female reproductive conflict, its absence in meerkats requires an evolutionary explanation. We therefore explore the costs and benefits of synchronizing breeding in two theoretical models, each of which contrasts synchrony with an alternative reproductive strategy: (i) breeding opportunistically and accepting fitness losses to infanticide or (ii) suppressing the reproduction of others to prevent infanticide. Our models show that the costs of synchrony constrain its development if subordinates breed infrequently, and that selection instead favors the suppression of subordinate reproduction by the dominant and opportunistic reproduction by subordinates. Together, our results suggest that the resolution of reproductive conflict in animal societies is shaped by differential breeding propensities among female group members, leading to divergent conflict resolution strategies even in closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic L Cram
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Arne Jungwirth
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Helen Spence-Jones
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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48
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Blank DA. Female-female aggression in goitered gazelles: the desire for isolation. Behav Processes 2019; 164:186-192. [PMID: 31091464 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to males, which compete with other males for access to mates, females compete with each other for forage-rich sites, birthing grounds, comfortable resting places, and access to sources of water and salt licking locations. This behavior has been observed in many species. However, many agonistic interactions between females occur where resources are not immediately at stake, and the reasons for their rivalry are often unclear. Therefore in this paper, I want to analyze the main causes of female-female aggression in the yearly cycle of goitered gazelles. I found that adult females had conflicts moistly with sub-adult females and less with other adult females; and these behaviors were observed mainly in May, with less in June, and only a few cases displayed during the rest of the year. The months of May-June had the most abundant and highest quality forage of the year, when competition for resources would seem to be least expected. Struggles for resting places occurred throughout the entire year, with only some bias for May that did not represent a primary level of aggression. In reality, the high rate of female-female aggressive interactions was related to the protection of birthing grounds, where mothers isolated themselves to give births, establish a strong selective mother-young bonds, keep their hiding fawns separated from alien offspring (having initial problems with distant visual recognition), and protect them against disturbance from all other females, which can undermine a fawn's hidden status and make it more vulnerable to predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Blank
- Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China; Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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Wu Y, Whiting MJ, Fu J, Qi Y. The driving forces behind female-female aggression and its fitness consequence in an Asian agamid lizard. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2686-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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50
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Miranda-de la Lama GC, Pascual-Alonso M, Aguayo-Ulloa L, Sepúlveda WS, Villarroel M, María GA. Social personality in sheep: Can social strategies predict individual differences in cognitive abilities, morphology features, and reproductive success? J Vet Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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